History of Cricket in the USA

Baseball may be thought of as an American sport with a long and illustrious history, but cricket actually predates it. In fact, cricket was being played here before it became the United States, and historical records as early as 1737 have chronicled its existence.

Even though baseball eventually eclipsed cricket in popularity, it drew large crowds well into the early 20th century. In 1840, the annual USA/Canada game attracted more than 10,000 spectators. If that number is scaled to reflect the current population of the United States, it would mean that if it was played today, over 100,000 people would have watched that game!

In 1965, the US was admitted as an associate member to the International Cricket Council (ICC). It competed in the first ICC Trophy Tournament in 1979. Later in 2004, the US competed in the ICC Six Nations Tournaments in UAE, which it won to again qualify to the world stage for the ICC Champions Trophy in England in that the same year.

Fast forwarding to today, cricket continues as a much-loved, multicultural amateur sport and is passionately played in all corners of the country. There are over 25,000 active players who are members of more than fifty leagues and 1,100 clubs across the United States. As most players are immigrants from all over the world, cricket is one of the most diverse sports in the US.

There are many forms of cricket being played, including taped softball and tennis ball cricket (no protective clothing), and the more traditional hardball form of cricket. With other forms for youth such as kwik cricket, as well as six-a-side, the sport can be played in time spans that ranges from as little as 1 hour to a full day.

With over 600 playing fields in the US, anybody of any skill level and gender should find playing opportunities within easy reach of where they live. Please see regions tab to find a cricket contact within your region.